“Building Your Network Marketing Business Through Events – How to Host an Effective Presentation”
November 2, 2010 Leave a comment
“Building Your Network Marketing Business Through Events –
How To Host An Effective Presentation”
By David J. Ciemny, Vice President of Business Development
Jusuru International, Inc.
In 1954 my grandma, Rene Ciemny, began a forty-plus year career in network marketing when she joined Stanley Home Products and began hosting mop parties around her hometown of Woodland, CA. She’d load up the ‘47 Ford Coupe and hustle around a 100-mile radius tri-county area sometimes giving as many as three parties a day. Stanley had the new Amazo-Mop, a new-fangled sponge mop, at a time when all other mops were made from cotton and coupled with the famous Stanley degreaser product, my grandma was showing housewives all over northern California how to make their homes sparkle. She worked tirelessly, and when grandpa Floyd was injured at his land-leveling job and lost months of income, it was grandma’s in-home parties that saved the family home from foreclosure. Thanks to network marketing, my family was able to survive the tough times.
The majority of companies in our industry are driven by in-home tastings, parties, or events. Whatever company you are a part of, this is most likely the case for you. The network marketing business model is predominantly face to face, relying on person-to-person contact. In my opinion, this is part of the allure of relationship marketing. In an increasing world of technology, text messaging, emails and the worldwide web, the personal attention and interaction that our industry offers the consumer is refreshing, just as it was in 1954.
Much of what I am writing about I credit to my grandma and the fact is, the same questions that went into the preparation of her events back then, are the same ones we must ask nowadays: Who, what, where, when, why and how? An educated answer to each of these questions will surely deliver an effective network marketing event.
Let’s examine each:
1. Who: Who is going to host the event? If it is not you, then you must find a friend or colleague willing to open their home or place of business for this purpose. Who is going to attend the event? Make your warm-market list: friends, family, colleagues, neighbors and invite them to each bring a guest. Helpful hint: Whoever brings the most guests gets a prize (perhaps free product). Also, if you are not hosting the event, make sure that the person hosting gets a similar prize in return for opening their home or place of business.
2. What: What is the purpose of this event? Personal – To introduce others to your new product / business venture. Training-To inform and educate distributors on the business or compensation, as well as the product, including anyone concerned about improving their lives or trimming their bottom-lines, looking or feeling better, etc. (this message should be unique to your specific product). Social – A networking event to get together with family, friends, co-workers other distributors. Business / Retail: A launch your new product and business endeavor!
3. Where: Determine the location. In-home is very common, as well as the proverbial hotel conference room, but many places of business add legitimacy to what you are offering. Perhaps a location that compliments your product like a salon, spa, restaurant, hotel, or gym. Remember to consider the estimated group size of you and your network when considering the location. Also be mindful to pick a centralized, safe location where people will feel warm, secure and welcome. It should also have convenient parking. Be sure to make sure the location will have adequate facilities to provide for your needs (see Tools below). Don’t spend too much money, if any! You want this to be easily replicated so don’t go overboard with finances. $0 to $500 is about the maximum you would want to spend depending on the logistics of the event (certainly for larger events or regional trainings you could spend much more). If you do spend money, feel free to ask other distributors to contribute a small fee at the door ($5 or $10) to offset the expenses since they too will benefit from the presentation.
4. When: Determine the time and date. Make sure it is appropriate time to allow for factors such as traffic and weather conditions, avoiding obvious holidays. Most weekday presentations happen around 7pm. Most weekend presentations happen in the early afternoon. If you are unsure of the optimal date, ask some of your closest friends what day they would be able to get together and schedule it then. Be sure to leave yourself enough time to get the word out, at least two weeks or more depending on the potential size of your event.
5. Why: Why should people attend? Remember all the reasons why people should be there. Because they are your friends, family, and contacts in addition to your upline and downline and they trust you and your credibility. Remember the restaurant example: If you opened a new restaurant, who would you invite and why would they be there? This holds true with your new network marketing business. You would expect everyone to show their support for you and be there! This is because people care about you and they care about what you are doing. They would also attend because they have a specific reason to hear about your product, whether health or beauty related, financial, or social. They might be attending because they want to make more money. Remember the economy example and that there has never been a better time to join a home-based business. There are 175,000 people per week joining a direct-selling company, why not make them a part of your organization? They might attend because your company has a competitive advantage that no one else can touch. They might come because someone they know invited them, or their significant other dragged them along! Whatever the reasons, identify them and remind people of them.
6. How: Let’s look at the detailed steps:
a. The Invite: Once you have established your who, what, where, when, and why you can begin inviting.
Pick your format (pick one, all or any combination) – Flyers, letters, personal invites via email, word of mouth, telephone, and electronic invitations (I recommend Evites (www.evite.com)
What to put on the Invite? Make it personal, including all general information, but not too much detail, and as simple as possible. Remember the basics like time, date, address, contact name and number for more info, parking information, plus any special notes as well as any special guests you may have in attendance or who will be speaking. You may plan on listing if you are serving any refreshments or if it is a luncheon obviously.
b. Copy: For the copy of the invite, perhaps something like: “You are cordially invited to an evening of… Come hear about the latest innovation for …learn how to increase your income from home by…” This must of course be specific to your product and opportunity so be creative and make sure your copy is in compliance with corporate and federal mandates. If you are unsure, send a sample copy to your corporate office or upline for approval.
c. Artwork / Logos – Make sure to only use corporate-approved logos and artwork. Also, do not stretch images in any way as this could distort the brand. Most companies have artwork for you ready to go.
Show your evite, flyer or email to your sponsor to get their feedback and make sure everything is spelled correctly! Double-checking and proof-reading is key!
d. Tools: I suggest the following tools: Sign-in Sheet (includes name, phone, email, person who invited them), brochures and all appropriate marketing materials, business cards (you’re not in business until people know you’re in business), a DVD player and TV (if using this as part of your presentation), enrollment forms and laptop with internet connection, clip boards, pens, your product for sale, optional items which add to the presentation depending on group size: A product display, projector, fast-fold screen, laptop loaded with applicable documents. Note: If your product is a consumable and your event is in a public place, you may need to acquire a permit and additional supplies like a washing station in accordance with local health codes.
e. Agenda:
Welcome by host – thank the person hosting and thank everyone for coming .
Introductions – in small groups go around the room and have every say their name, where they’re from and what they do.
Presentation – this can be your corporate DVD or Powerpoint or your own custom presentation or guest speaker.
Testimonials – After presentation – Host thanks presenter and invites those who have been on the product to share their story, as well as asking newcomers what prompted them to attend.
Product Sampling – Pass out the product or samples and present to everyone as a demo.
Hand Out / Call To Action – Hand out the enrollment forms to everyone after the demo while you explain the business, costs and how it works.
Thank you / Mix & Mingle – Thank your guests for coming and invite everyone to talk to the person who invited them and encourage them to get started in the business tonight!
f. Follow Up / Next Steps: Make sure you or your team contacts everyone who attended within 48 hours of the presentation. The follow up should thank them for coming, see if they had any questions, and discuss the next steps (next event, training, goals, enrollment, etc).
You too can effectively build your business through hosting your own events by following these simple steps that I have outlined and by filling that inherent need of most people to have face to face personal interaction. People need network marketing now more than ever and we must press on with tried and true methods. The fine representatives of Jusuru are doing just that every day and inspire us at corporate to help them grow even quicker through events. It inspires me to know that over fifty-five years ago my grandma began a legacy that I would continue in my own way to this very day.
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